1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to exercise devices and, more particularly, to new and improved portable exercise devices. Specifically, the present invention relates to portable exercise devices which are used in conjunction with overhead doorway frames, are light weight and readily transportable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exercising apparatus presently available in the market comes in all sizes and forms. Such devices are designed to exercise all the various types of muscle groups. Moreover, there is an ever increasing need and demand for exercising equipment for use in and around the home. Such equipment is preferably designed to be portable so that it can be easily assembled and disassembled for storage as well as for travel. Examples of such diverse equipment include those devices illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,480,573, 2,938,695, 4,705,270, 4,722,523, 4,779,867, 4,787,626, 4,809,971, and 5,209,712. As can be seen from these devices, a wide variety of types of exercise are represented with these devices, including sit-ups, chin-ups, push-downs, stretches and the like.
Chinning, as a form of exercise, is widely enjoyed and to a large extent is practiced indoors with the aid of a chinning bar of some type. Typical examples of this type of equipment include temporarily attachable devices which are commonly installed between or along the jambs of a doorway. Specific examples of this type of device are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,593,996, 3,716,232, 5,429,571 and 5,776,033. While many of these devices are adequate, many are either difficult to install, are limited as to the amount of weight that they can carry, or are too cumbersome to be truly easily portable. Some of these devices are designed to hang from the top edge of a door frame. Unfortunately, these devices are very limited as to the amount of weight they can carry since they place a substantial load factor onto the door frame edge, which may be pulled out from its attachment to the doorway. Until the weight depending from this device can be somehow distributed elsewhere other than on the frame""s edge, this weight limit factor is a significant issue to such prior art chinning bars attachable to doorways. Moreover, the use of a bar also limits the portability of such prior art devices.
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a portable exercise device that is designed to be utilized with the frame of a doorway without placing unacceptable weight onto the doorway frame edge.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable exercise device that is lightweight, small and compact for storage, and easily transportable for travel.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable exercise device that is adjustable to all sizes of doorway jams and wall widths without the use of a bar.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable exercise device that is adjustable to different positions for different arm width placements to accomplish different workouts.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an exercise device for use with a support frame is disclosed. The device includes a pair of spaced clamp members each having a body portion terminating in first and second edges. A length-adjustable attachment member interconnects the clamp members, and a grip element is associated with the attachment member intermediate the clamp members. A leverage mechanism is operatively connected to the clamp members so that when the clamp member first edges are supported on a frame, the leverage mechanism urges the clamp member second edges laterally inwardly against the support frame in response to a downward force exerted on the grip element.